One-piece foot covering



Jan. H7, 195@ HOGAN 2,494,617

ONE-PIECE FOOT COVERING Filed June 27, 1949 INVENTOR. E055 Hoemy BY W4, Fl AIME/V575 Patented Jan. 17, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

The present invention relates to footwear, and more particularly to an improved foot covering of the soft shoe or slipper type such as may be readily slipped on and off the foot and collapsed or folded for packing in a small space.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a foot covering of the type referred to so constructed that a given size will possess the capacity for a considerable range of automatic conformation or adjustment to varying foot proportions and widths, thus assuring selection of a comfortable fit from a limited number of manufactured shoe sizes. Another important object is to form a shoe of the type stated from a single blank or piece of material so shaped as to dispose the seams of the finished shoe in such relation as to cause it to conform to the shape of the foot and give a snug self-retaining fit without pressing in or binding at any point and moreover present a pleasing appearance.

The foregoing objects, as well as other objects and advantages which will become evident from the more specific disclosure to follow, are achieved by constructing the shoe from a unitary blank of predetermined size and edge contour so designed as to permitthe finished shoe to be formed with a single side seam having angularly related portions on the vamp portion of the shoe and a single upright J-shaped heel seam providing a rounded heel fitting portion, as will be better understood from the specific description hereinafter given and the illustrations in the accompanying drawing, where,

Figureil is a side view of the shoe as it appears on a wearers left foot;

Figure 2 is a rear or heel view of the shoe seen in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top view of the shoe as it appears when collapsed;

Figures 4 and 5 are side and rear views, respectively, of the collapsed shoe; and

Figure 6 is a plan view of the unitary blank from which the entire shoe shown in the preceding figures is formed.

The foot covering or shoe of the present invention is preferably made of soft pliable leather such as kid or lambskin with one suede surface and the other smooth or finished. The finished side of the leather preferably forms the inner surface of the shoe so that it may more easily be slipped on and ofi and more readily adjust itself to the shape of the wearers foot without binding. The shoe is characterized by a forward vamp portion Ill high enough to form a sheath extending over the transverse arch of a wearers foot and a heel en- 2 circling rear portion II which is joined to the vamp In on the outer aspect of the shoe by a continuous main seam l2 extending from the rounded front or toe end of the shoe to a point of junction, at it, between the portions l0 and II. The main seam E2 is preferably a side to side junction of the leather forming the upper and bottom portions of the shoe and, viewed from the standpoint of the shoe when in use, consists of a horizontal portion [2a defining the junction between the sole and vamp portions of the shoe and running at sole level to a point adjacent the part of the shoe which receives the ball of the foot, then diagonally upward as the portion l2b extending from the sole seam to the junction point I As the lap joint of the main seam l2 possesses a degree of stiffness, it serves to give the forward portion of the shoe its proper shape as the portion l2a defines the outer margin of the sole while the angularly related portion [2b supports the instep embracing portions of the shoe and assures conformation of that portion of the shoe to the shape of a wearers foot.

At the rear, the shoe is shaped to fit over the heel by joining the opposite sides of the heel encircling portion I! with what can be referred to as an upright J-shaped lap seam I4 (Figure 2') the curved lower part Ma of which lies at substantially the sole level and serves to give the lower heel portion of the shoe a rounded, heel fitting contour. The upper end of seam l4 and the upper end of seam [2, at the junction l3, are preferably reinforced or bridged by integral tongues IS on one edge of the leather which are folded over and sewn, or otherwise secured, to the end portions of the lapped edges forming the seams. When collapsed for storage or packing,

the pliable material of the shoe will fold under the portion IZb of the main seam, as seen in Figure 3, and the flattened shoe will be defined by the lines of the front and rear seams, as seen in Figures 3 to 5. Further folding, as for convenient pocketing, is, of course, possible.

An important feature of the invention is the conformation of the unitary blank from which the shoe is formed. As seen in Figure 6, the blank consists of a single elongated sheet of leather or the like with irregular opposed edges designed to be complemental when the material is folded to bring them into juxtaposition to form both the sole and upper of the shoe. When this blank is of leather, it should be cut so that the grain of the leather extends longitudinally of the blank. More specifically, the blank consists of a forward portion formed with similar opposed curved edges 1 Ha merging toward the rear with opposed angularly related straight edges 2b. At the rear portion of the blank there is formed a straight edge H4 connected with a rounded edge 114a. Reinforcing tongues l (5 are provided at the end of one of the straight edges H21) and the curved edge 4a. The front and rear edges of the blank are joined by the ornamental crenated edges which define the mouth of the. finished shoe.

To form the shoe the complemental edges l l2a and H21) are brought into lapped relation by folding the blank on itself and these edges stitched or otherwise secured to form the two sections (2a and 42b of the main seam together withv the reinforcement [5. The rear edges H4 and Hda are similarly brought together and joined to'form the J-shaped heel seam M, la, the tongue H5 forming the reinforcement I5. These simple operations produce the complete shoe illustrated in Figure 1 As will be seen. from the above disclosure, the invention accomplishes. the formation from a single piece of material of a complete pliable shoe, covering the entire foot and having the. two seams employed disposed in such manner that the shoe automatically conformsv to the shape of the foot and becomes self-retaining by reason of the high vamp: H) in conjunction with the heel hugging rear end of the shoe resulting from the rounded contour. obtained by the J.-shaped seam employed there. Accordingly, a light and. simple but comfortahle. and efficient foot covering adapted for loungin play, bedroom use, etc., and which can be produced at minimum cost, is provided by the invention, and while use of pliable leather and sewn seams is disclosed in the preferred form, it will be evident that variations, such as in the manner of joining the seams and the nature oi material used; are possible. without departure from the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What. is claimed is:

l. A shoe formed from a single sheet of pliable material comprising the entire sole and upper, a forward fold of said sheet ofmaterial forming a sheath adapted to receive the forward portion of a foot including the instep, saidfold having complemental edges at the toe end and outer aspect of the shoe united as a seamv extending at sole level from around the toe end of' the shoe to a point adjacent the portion of theshoe adapted to-receivethe. ball of the foot and then diagonally upward to the mouth of the shoe on the outer side of the instep portion, a reinforcing tongue bridging the seam at the mouth of the shoe, a rear fold of said material forming the heel receiving portion of the shoe and being closed at the rear end thereof by a vertical seam having a reinforcing tongue bridging its upper end, said seam having a lower curved portion defining an enlargement in the lower rear portion of the shoe constituting a heel fitting pocket.

2. A shoe formed from a single sheet of pliable material comprising the entire soleand upper, a forward fold of said material forming a sheath adapted to receive the forward portion of a foot, said fold having complemental edges at the toe and outer aspect of the shoe united as a. seam extending at sole level from the toe end of the shoe to a point adjacent the portion of the shoe adapted to receive the ball of the foot and then diagonally upward to the mouth of the shoe, a rear fold of said material forming the heel receiving portion of the shoe and being closed at the rear end thereof by a vertical seam. having a curved portion at its lower end defining anenlargement of the lower rear portion. of the: shoe constituting a heel fitting pocket.

3'. A unitary blank of pliable. material for forming the complete sole and upper of a shoe comprising opposed portions having curved edges respectively merging into opposed angularly di verent straight edge portions, said: curved and straight edges being adapted when brought into ccmplementalrelation to form a sheath for the toes and instep of a foot, said straight edges respectively being continued as opposed arcuate edges complemental to define the mouth of the shoe, one of said arcuateedges joining an angularly related straight edge and the other an edge formed on a rounded curve, said straight and rounded edges being complemental to form the heel pocket of a shoe.

4;. A- blank according to claim 3 inwhich the material of the blank is a grained material suchasleather and in which the grain extends substantially parallel to a line drawn between the centers of the toe and heelportions, respectively.

ROSE'HOGAN.

Name Date Hollenbeck Nov; 1.6,. 192i Number 

